Los Angeles County prosecutors can now seek to try juveniles as adults and pursue life sentences against defendants in certain cases, according to memos issued Friday by Dist. Atty. George Gascón, marking a major shift in his all-or-nothing stances on certain criminal justice reform issues.
When he first took office in late 2020, Gascón made waves by immediately banning prosecutors from seeking the death penalty or life sentences without the possibility of parole, while also severely limiting the way prosecutors could use sentencing enhancements and ending the practice of trying juveniles as adults.
While the moves were in line with the broader platform of restorative justice Gascón ran on, critics have decried the so-called “blanket” policies and demanded he consider trying juveniles as adults or seeking life sentences when defendants are accused of especially gruesome conduct.
That moment came late Friday. Committees will be created to evaluate “extraordinary” cases where a defendant’s conduct might require harsher penalties than those allowed under Gascón’s policies, according to documents reviewed by The Times.
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